Mobile phones worth SR6bn imported in 6 months

A Saudi vendor looks at cases at a mobile shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in this March 21, 2016 photo. (Reuters)

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia imported 11.9 million mobile phones, valued at SR6.825 billion, during the first half of 2016.
Issa Al-Eissa, spokesman for Saudi Customs, said that in 2015, 32.03 million phones, valued at SR23.18 billion, were imported.
Reacting to the figures, Farouk Al-Khatib, professor of economics at King Abdulaziz University, said the demand for mobile phones in the Saudi market is strong and expansive, as the Kingdom is one of the largest smartphone markets in the region with many mobile phones given as gifts during holidays and other events.
“Most people now have two or three phones, and prefer to change phones with the release of the latest models,” he said, noting that statistics point to wide-scale growth in the value and number of mobile phones. There are no reliable figures for used phones.
He said the imports of these devises grew from last year by SR2.75 billion, or 13.4 percent, and smartphones were the second largest group in terms of size and value.
Mohammed Al-Ahdal, the owner of a mobile phone shop, said prices have been declining this season from 15 to 20 percent for both used and new phones, while there is a rising demand for phone accessories, such as covers, headphones, chargers, and other items.
He said many models have maintained their prices over three years despite the launch of newer versions and more specifications.